


Earthquake!

by serenityabrin



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: M/M, Threesome - M/M/M, earthquake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 19:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4577556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenityabrin/pseuds/serenityabrin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick, Horatio, and Ryan in an earthquake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earthquake!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TigerLily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/gifts).



"Here you are, sir," the receptionist said, handing Rick a pair of keys. "Your rooms are up that flight of stairs and at the end of the hall. Please enjoy your stay."

After thanking her, Rick turned around to where Horatio and Ryan were waiting.

"All set?" Horatio asked.

Rick nodded, grabbing the bag he'd left with his coworkers. "We have two rooms on the second floor."

"Just two?" Ryan looked annoyed. "Jeeze, Stetler, are you really that cheap? You can't tell me this dive is full."

As the three of them headed towards the stairs, Rick shot Ryan an annoyed look. "If you still want that new DNA sequencer, then you're just going to have to suck it up. The department's not made of money."

Rick spoke with righteous authority, but secretly he had to admit that Ryan might've had a point. Glancing around at the walls of the stairwell, Rick noted the cracks in the concrete, the rust stains on the light fixtures, and the very insufficient air conditioning.

It had looked much better on the website.

Still, there was a bit of charm to the place. It was a small hotel, as evidenced by the fact that when they reached the second floor there were only six doors to choose from. Flashes of decorative molding and wooden accents suggested an interesting past, but it was clear the owners were trying to modernize the interior.

From the looks of things, they still had a ways to go.

It might not be the nicest hotel Rick had ever seen, but he'd processed crime scenes in much worse motels too. And he hadn't lied -- the budget was tight. They weren't going to be spending much time in the hotel anyway.

"So, who's getting the single?" Ryan asked as they approached their rooms. He had an oddly guarded expression on his face as he glanced at Horatio and Rick. Rick thought there was a touch of annoyance directed his way, and he could guess that Ryan assumed Rick would insist upon the single.

But Ryan didn't look too upset by that prospect. Rick could guess why.

"I don't mind sharing," Rick offered. He didn't want to be the bad guy. Although, if he were honest, there was a small gleeful part of him that amused itself at cockblocking Horatio and Ryan.

Rick wasn't 100% sure the two of them were together, but he'd suspected something was going on for a while now. And, if it weren't, he felt that it could happen any day now.

He had no desire to further that along by arranging for the two of them to share a hotel room together for the whole week of the Criminalists Convention.

Ryan gave Rick a startled look, and Rick honestly couldn't read his reaction beyond that. He expected Ryan would be even more annoyed by Rick's offer, as it likely meant he would be the one who ended up rooming with Rick.

For his part, Rick would be very happy to share a room with Ryan. Any opportunity to spend more time with the younger man was one to be seized.

Unexpectedly, though, Horatio spoke up. "I don't mind sharing either," he said, voice like black velvet as it floated into Rick's ears. Horatio snatched the cards from Rick's hand and pressed the single-room key into Ryan's hand, forcing him to take it. The redhead smiled and said, "Sleep well, Mister Wolfe. We will see you bright and early at 5 AM tomorrow."

Ryan had the same surprised expression that Rick was sure was on his own face. Horatio did not seem to notice, or at least made no sign that he did. Clearly feeling the matter had been settled, he turned to open up the door to the double-room, leaving Rick and Ryan standing in the hallway.

Ryan recovered first, shrugging with forced nonchalance and heading to his own room.

Rick was slower in reacting. Taking a deep breath, he needed a moment to acclimate to this change in circumstances before he could follow after Horatio.

When he'd booked these rooms, Rick hadn't anticipated any scenario where Horatio would allow himself to share a room with Rick. He figured Horatio would grab his own room before he would ever agree to spend more time with Rick than he absolutely had to.

Still, Rick finally decided he'd been given a rare opportunity and he should make the most of it. It wasn't every day, after all, that he had the chance to interact with Horatio on non-work-related matters. Perhaps Horatio would finally see that Rick wasn't the mustache-twirling villain that everyone in the lab had painted him as.

Yeah, probably not.

Heading into the room, Rick saw that it was very small. With the bathroom immediately to the left, it made a little hallway by the door, which opened up to reveal two beds that took up almost the entire room. They were separated by the length of the nightstand, which was tiny indeed.

Horatio was already unpacking his few items and putting them into the dresser at the foot of the beds. It was centered so that Horatio could stand between the beds while he put his clothes away, but Rick noted that Horatio couldn't stand between the end of the bed and the dresser and have the dresser drawer open at the same time.

It was a tight squeeze.

At least there was one amenity offered for comfort. Mounted on the wall above the dresser was a large TV, an older, heavier model. Clearly a nod towards improving the hotel, it was a cosmetic band-aid at best. The room appeared to have been newly painted, but that didn't conceal the tiny cracks near the ceiling corners. The bed linens had a knock-off designer pattern on them, but the beds, dresser, and nightstand were scuffed and worn.

Rick knew he should be happy that it at least looked clean.

As Horatio had claimed the bed closer to the window, Rick approached the nearest bed to unpack his own few clothes. The silence was probably comfortable to Horatio, but Rick felt very awkward as he went about hanging up his suit and putting his clothes in the bottom drawer of the dresser, which Horatio had left for him.

"I think I shall take a shower before bed," Horatio suddenly announced. He was polite enough to ask, "Unless you want to take one first?"

Shaking his head, Rick said, "I'll take one in the morning," and gestured offhandedly as if the matter meant nothing to him.

As if his dick didn't twitch at the idea of Horatio showering so close by.

Horatio nodded and soon slipped into the bathroom, finally leaving Rick with some time to think without distraction.

Sinking onto the bed, Rick noted again how close it was to Horatio's. He would be able to hear Horatio's every breath as he slept.

Swallowing, Rick ran his fingers through his hair and wondered how he was going to survive a week of such close quarters. How he was going to keep a lid on his feelings when he could hear the shower running and his imagination immediately supplied the image of Horatio standing naked under a stream of water.

Groaning softly, Rick flopped back on the bed. Not for the first time, he cursed his desires.

He and Horatio Caine had butted heads for years. They had very different ideas of how the Crime Lab should be run. They ran in very different circles. There was always tension underpinning every meeting they had, from the most heated exchange to the most calculating chess match. It could be exhausting at times. And frustrating. More often than not, Rick wanted to grab Horatio and shake him -- _force_ him to see that it was _not_ okay to endanger himself _again_.

But Rick would be lying if he said he hated their arguments. If he didn't feel a thrill when he walked into the same room as Horatio and felt how the tension ratcheted up from his presence alone.

Rick had gone to bed more than once imagining how he would finally knock Horatio off his pedestal. After all the aggravation Horatio caused him, a little nightly revenge fantasy was simply cathartic.

The fantasies had changed. They'd gone from imagining simply punching Horatio in his smug face to throwing him up against the wall and fucking him hard to making love out on the beach.

Rick had no idea what to make of such a progression of desire or what it said about him. It had snuck up on him over time and he hadn't even realized what was happening until it was too late for him to want to stop.

Naturally, Rick blamed Ryan.

Rick and Ryan could spark sometimes, it was true, but it wasn't a given the way it was with Horatio. Ryan was annoyed by Rick as often as anyone else in Horatio's crime lab, but he didn't become prickly at the mere sight of Rick the way Eric and Calleigh did. So, that was a nice chance of pace.

Ryan was adorable though. After all of his brushes with danger and his troubles with gambling, Rick had actually become rather protective of the younger man. Rick didn't go easy on him, but he did smooth things over in his own way.

Rick had noticed Ryan's good looks immediately. It was no surprise that he was attracted to him.

But things changed once Rick began to suspect Ryan and Horatio were seeing each other. Rick's imagination was set fire by the idea. He could so easily picture the way Horatio's hands would look sliding over Ryan's skin. The way Horatio would pull Ryan close when they kissed. The way Horatio would grab Ryan's wrists and force him still while the older man fucked Ryan nice and slow.

Rick felt his dick harden, and he rolled back to a sitting position. Irritated with his lack of control, he snapped to his feet and tried to corral his thoughts before he really did embarrass himself.

Their flight had arrived very late. There really was nothing better to do right now than go to bed.

Unbuttoning his shirt, Rick's mind once again supplied the unhelpful knowledge that Horatio was naked just a few feet away while Rick was going to be the same shortly. Rick shook his head at himself, feeling like a lost cause.

The room was uncomfortably warm. Rick ran his hand over the air vent and could feel that there was a weak stream of cool air trying to do something about the heat, but it wasn't nearly enough. He checked the thermostat, but saw that it had already been turned down. Rick highly doubted the room was going to cool off more than it already was.

Yet another thing for Ryan to hold against him come tomorrow.

Rick decided to be optimistic about it. As warm as it was in the room, it made perfect sense to sleep shirtless, and Rick would finally have an excuse to show off his sculpted chest.

Rick wasn't completely vain, but he looked good and he knew it. He'd worked hard to earn his washboard abs and chiseled biceps. He had no illusions that Horatio would ever be interested in him, but Rick liked the idea of Horatio at least noticing him. What was the point of suffering through a week of close-quarters with Horatio if he couldn't have a little fun?

Dropping his pants, Rick debated with himself for a moment before grabbing the one pair of boxer-briefs he'd packed. He was actually a tighty-whitey guy, but he liked to wear high-end boxer-briefs whenever he had a reasonable chance of getting laid.

He snorted in amusement, considering his current situation.

Hearing the water turn off, Rick quickly slipped off his underwear. He stood for a moment without a stitch of clothing on. A part of him almost wished Horatio would open the door to the bathroom right then and catch him in this state of undress -- would get to see everything Rick had to offer.

It felt deliciously naughty to be standing so unabashedly naked when the object of his desire was so close at hand.

While it would be fun to indulge himself, Rick knew nothing would actually come of it and he'd only succeed in making things even more awkward between him and Horatio. Rick was too much the professional for that.

So, he slipped into his good pair of black boxer-briefs. He contemplated wearing pajama bottoms, but it really was too hot for that in the room. He hadn't packed shorts or boxers, so this would have to do.

After putting away the last of his clothes, he drew back the covers so that only the sheet remained. He was just sliding under the covers when Horatio finally emerged from the bathroom.

Rick noted that he was wearing a dark green pajama set, complete with button-down, long-shirt top. It looked far too warm to Rick, but Horatio didn't seem bothered. He looked rather elegant in his nightwear. Rick refused to feel underdressed.

"I'm finished," Horatio said needlessly. Rick had noted him pause when he'd seen Rick on the bed, but there was otherwise a distinct lack of reaction to Rick's bare chest.

Rick tried not to be disappointed in that.

Sliding right back out of the covers he'd only just slipped under, Rick grabbed his toiletry bag so he could brush his teeth and relieve himself before bed. He tried not to think about the picture he might present in his tight boxer-briefs -- tried his best not to look to see if Horatio had even noticed.

He slipped into the bathroom and focused on brushing his teeth and the other mindless tasks of going to bed.

When he emerged a few minutes later, Horatio was already settled in his own bed. The light for his side of the room was out, clearly indicating that he was going to sleep and a lack of desire for conversation.

Rick sighed.

Turning off the light, he settled into his own bed and did his best to ignore the man resting just a few feet away.

 

************

 

Rick startled awake, though he had no idea why. Only a second later, Horatio was leaping out of bed. Rick barely understood what was happening as Horatio somehow managed to find his footing and stumble over the divide towards Rick.

In one fluid motion, Horatio jumped onto Rick's bed, stepped over him, turned as he was jumping back onto the floor on the other side of Rick's bed, and grabbed Rick. Horatio hauled Rick out of bed and towards the little hallway by the door. He slammed Rick up against the wall with unexpected force and pressed against him, holding him still with surprising strength.

It was only after all of this that Rick finally registered that the room was shaking. Around him, the room seemed to be vibrating itself to pieces. He heard the large crash the TV made when it fell from the wall, but it was too dark to really make out. The heavy beds were thudding as they bounced towards the center of the room. The drawers in the dresser banged as they came loose. And every now and then there was a terrific crash from somewhere outside their room.

Rick couldn't really pay attention to any of this. Even if it had been easier to see, his attention was on trying to keep himself in one place. He grabbed Horatio's arms to steady himself. As always, Horatio seemed like a rock -- utterly immovable. Rick held on for dear life.

It felt like forever before the shaking subsided. In reality, it might've been as long as a full minute, but no more than that. Rick and Horatio did not immediately move. Never having been in an earthquake before, Rick was slow to grasp what had just happened.

Faint light slipped in through what was left of the window, the vibrating taking down the curtains. It was still dark out, but there was enough lighting outside that Rick could see the way the walls had peeled downward, leaving the wooden frame exposed. The TV and furniture were a heap of debris in the center of the room. Faint dust tickled Rick's nose from the drywall. Nothing in the room itself looked stable.

If Rick and Horatio hadn't gotten up when they did . . .

Rick turned to look at Horatio. He was suddenly very aware of how they were pressed up against each other. He could feel every inch of the other man. Without his shirt, he could feel the softness of Horatio's pajamas. He could feel Horatio's breath fanning his cheek.

Horatio's bright eyes were hard to make out in the gloom, but Rick was sure the other man was looking at him. He too must be aware of how close they were.

The air felt electric and Rick couldn't tell if that was coming from them or some after-effect of the earthquake.

Just as he thought something would come of it, Horatio abruptly stepped away and said, "Mister Wolfe."

He did not wait at all as he wrenched their door open in search of their young colleague. Rick took a deep breath before following after. He found Horatio banging on Ryan's locked door, calling his name.

"Well?" Rick said when he approached.

Horatio's expression was even harder to see in the darkened hallway, but Rick thought he could make out the concerned look the redhead had. "No response," Horatio said succinctly.

Concerned himself, Rick spent the next few minutes helping Horatio finagle a way into the locked room. Time crawled by slowly, and Rick had no idea how long they actually spent working on the problem.

No one came looking for them, and all of Horatio's continued calls into the room remained unanswered.

The entire place was eerily quiet.

After what felt like a short eternity, they finally managed to get the door open. Both men wanted nothing more than to barge right in and see how things fared for Ryan. But both had worked unstable crime scenes in the past; they knew that could do more damage than good if they did that.

"Mister Wolfe? Ryan?" Horatio called, cautiously picking his way into the room.

More of Ryan's window was visible than their room had allowed, giving more light. What it revealed was a disaster.

Ryan's room was even smaller than Horatio and Rick's had been but the setup appeared to be similar. The bed had been right in front of a small dresser with a wall-mounted TV above that. Just like their room, the drywall had peeled away from the walls and landed in a heap in the center of the room.

"Ryan? Answer me," Horatio continued to call as they moved closer. Rick could now make out parts of what had to be the bed. The mattress was on the floor, suggesting the bed had collapsed. If the TV were about as high as theirs had been, it would've landed on the bed -- it would've landed on Ryan.

Rick tried not to let panic grab hold of him.

Cautiously he crept nearer and gingerly lifted the nearest bit of crumbled drywall and tried to look underneath it.

Without needing to be asked, Horatio took a hold of that same piece of debris and helped Rick move it out of the way. They moved two more small pieces in the same manner before Rick saw something peeking through the dusty debris.

"Look!" Rick pointed to the still digits of Ryan's hand. He didn't know whether to be relieved or not at finally having proof Ryan was indeed there.

"Hold on, Mister Wolfe," Horatio said. "We're going to get you out of there."

He sounded so confident that Rick found it hard to disbelieve him, though he had no idea how they were going to accomplish such a task -- certainly not without injuring Ryan further.

Rick followed Horatio's lead though. The redhead had a keen sense of which piece to move when. Unerringly, he picked the right piece to move to get to Ryan the quickest without shifting the pile.

There was one close call as they worked. As they were moving a heavy piece of drywall, an aftershock hit. Rick lost his grip and his footing. The drywall broke in two pieces, scraping against his leg as he went down. Rick heard Horatio grunt, but could not see what became of him.

Rolling instinctively away from the debris pile, Rick tucked himself into a fetal position with his hands covering his head. Another shower of dust rained down on him, but it seemed the biggest chunks had already been loosened by the first quake.

"You okay?" Horatio said when they were certain the aftershock was finished. Thankfully it had only been a few seconds long, though that seemed to have been long enough to upend all their work on the debris pile.

Rick slowly straightened out of his position and wiggled his toes. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."

Both men then turned again to the debris pile. It had shifted like sand, the top parts sliding down towards the ground and burying Ryan anew.

However, in the quiet following the aftershock, Rick heard a soft groan. Startled, he looked at Horatio and found the redhead turning to meet his eyes with the same surprised expression.

Throughout all their work so far, there had been a worrying silence from under the debris pile.

Shimmying closer to the pile, Horatio called, "Ryan?"

Another groan answered them, and that was all the encouragement Rick and Horatio needed to redouble their efforts in freeing their colleague.

Horatio kept up a running commentary for Ryan's benefit, though he was never rewarded with any answering dialogue. Rick and Horatio made quick work of pulling off or breaking the larger pieces of drywall that had fallen from the ceiling. The drywall from the walls had been smashed into smaller pieces, and it took a little more work to remove it. They started near where they assumed Ryan's head was.

Finally Ryan's dark hair came into view. Of course, now it was white with drywall dust, but it was definitely a welcome sight.

Horatio cautiously leaned over so he could touch Ryan's face. "Ryan? Open your eyes. Look at me. Let me see you're okay."

Ryan responded with a groan and shifted his head, as if trying to get away from the touch. Horatio did not give up, though, and repeated his quietly firm command for Ryan to open his eyes and let them see that he was still with them.

Rick held his breath as he waited for that sign.

Coughing, Ryan finally said, "'s in my eyes." His voice was hoarse and it was hard to hear him.

"I understand," Horatio said. "We'll get you out soon and you can wash the dust from your eyes." Rick could hear the relief in his voice. He saw how Horatio squeezed Ryan's free hand before moving back to continue their work of freeing him.

It only further confirmed Rick's assessment of their feelings for each other.

"This looks pretty well propped up," Horatio said, pointing to how a large piece of the outer wall was holding up a substantial part of the debris. It was resting on what remained of the bed frame, which was itself on the ground. It couldn't fall further, and if it slipped, it was sloped away from the center of the room.

Continuing, Horatio said, "If we can pull this part of the bed towards us, I think we can make a gap to slide Ryan out."

Rick studied the area Horatio was pointing to. The bed had collapsed under and around Ryan, creating a little cavity of mattress and blankets that may have saved him from serious harm. It had also trapped him rather effectively.

Horatio now intended to grab the side frame of the bed and pull it out. Hopefully that would give them better access to Ryan from the side.

"Okay," Rick agreed. He took one side of the board and Horatio took the other. The drywall nearby protested their efforts, but there was nothing substantial that the side-frame was supporting now, so they only threw up some more dust into the air.

Rick's arms strained under the effort, but he was every bit as determined to get to Ryan as Horatio was. The board finally came undone with a satisfying pop, sending both men back onto their asses.

Horatio pulled the board toward him to discard it back towards the hallway -- the only place to put it. Being closer to Ryan, Rick leaned down and said, "Do you think you can move towards me, Ryan?"

Ryan had moved his face towards Rick and instinctively opened his eyes. But that let the dust in, and he quickly shut his eyes again. Rick reached in to wipe away what he could, and he wished that he at least had a shirt on that he could use for the job.

"Can we get some water?" he asked Horatio.

The other man was already shaking his head. "Water's off and the ceiling came down in there too."

Lips set in an unhappy line, Rick was becoming very unimpressed with the construction of this hotel.

Accepting that there was nothing for it but to use their hands -- already thickly covered in drywall-dust -- Rick was surprised when a balled up cloth was thrust into his hands. Horatio had taken off his pajama top, revealing that he was wearing a t-shirt underneath.

Rick boggled that he was wearing so much when it was so hot, but he didn't turn down the offered shirt. Turning it inside out so the dust it had accumulated wouldn't just make it worse, he did his best to wipe away the debris from Ryan's eyes.

"Better?"

Ryan nodded, blinking a few times before he could keep his eyes open. Tears had muddied the dust around his eyes as his body worked to clear out the foreign material.

"Okay, Ryan." Rick took Ryan's hand. "Just shift my way a little."

Obediently, Ryan wiggled a little bit towards Rick. Horatio and Rick both looked warily at the debris pile still hovering over Ryan, but it did not budge.

"You're doing great," Horatio said. "Try a little more."

Again Ryan obeyed, and wiggled further. He managed to free his head entirely and part of his shoulder. His other hand appeared to be trapped behind him and his legs were still hidden from view.

Rick and Horatio coaxed Ryan to inch further and further their way. Ryan's grip was firm as he used Rick as leverage to help pull himself out. He was doing well until he suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed in on himself.

"What is it?" Horatio's words came out more sharply than he likely intended, and Rick could understand that. They seemed so close to freeing their colleague. Each second that passed was agony to wait.

Voice shaky with pain, Ryan said, "Foot . . . trapped."

Rick and Horatio both turned their attention to the bottom of the bed. It was still covered with debris, keeping them from seeing what was going on.

"Okay, Ryan," Rick reassured. "Just breathe deep for a moment and we'll see what's what."

Horatio was already removing some of the smaller chunks of drywall when Rick joined him. At first it seemed like more of the same to remove the debris on this end of the bed -- tedious but steady work. However, that changed when they found a large intact piece of drywall extending over the bottom third of the bed. When they tried to move it, Ryan again cried out in pain.

Not willing to risk further injury, Horatio and Rick went at the problem from the side. Horatio brought back the side-frame and propped it up at a diagonal position to take some of the drywall's weight as he excavated beneath it. It still shifted on occasion, and Ryan's whimpers of pain let them know he could still feel every little movement with painful accuracy.

"It's the TV," Horatio finally said. He'd twisted himself to get a good look and now carefully twisted himself back. When he was once again free, he looked up at Rick. "The TV's fallen on Ryan's leg or foot -- I can't really make out which. The wall must've broken off right above the dresser and landed on him, TV and all. It might've been what broke the bed."

Rick glanced toward where Ryan was still waiting. His free hand was balled up in a fist and he was worryingly quiet. He'd twisted himself slightly in the direction of his feet, perhaps trying for the protective fetal position Rick had used earlier. The debris barred his way, and he looked very vulnerable.

All Rick could think of was that if the wall of the TV had fallen straight, it would've landed on Ryan's chest or head. Rick didn't want to imagine what might've happened then.

Ruthlessly turning his attention back to the problem at hand, Rick looked back at Horatio and said, "Now what?"

Horatio's glance had also turned towards Ryan. His voice was quiet when he spoke. "I'm afraid Ryan might have to just suffer through the pain. I can lift the bottom of the TV. If you yank Ryan towards you, it shouldn't be a problem to pull him out the rest of the way. It will hurt, though."

He sounded as if the idea of causing Ryan any amount of pain made him ill. Rick didn't like this idea either. But the building was making some rather unhealthy noises, and Rick feared another aftershock. They couldn't afford to wait.

Nodding, he accepted Horatio's plan.

"Okay, Ryan. We're going to--" he said, coming back to kneel beside his head.

"I heard." Ryan's voice was as tense as his body. "I--I'm ready."

Rick wanted to say something comforting, but there really wasn't anything he could say to make this better for Ryan, and he knew it. So he said nothing.

Instead, he shifted closer and stretched out as much as he was able. When he'd earlier given his hand for Ryan to pull himself, it had been clear that wasn't nearly enough leverage. So Rick got down on the ground and put Ryan's free arm over his shoulder, trying to wiggle his own hand under Ryan as much as possible so he could to get a good grip and use his whole body to pull his colleague free.

It was a rather uncomfortable position.

"Ready?" Horatio asked as soon as Rick was still.

Craning his neck, Rick could just see Horatio near the foot of the bed. "Ready."

As Horatio lifted the TV, Rick thrust his arm as far under Ryan as he could and tugged him forward at the same time. There was very little room to work, so Rick sort of turned his body away and pulled Ryan over him in the process.

With their heads pressed so close together, Rick could hear the way Ryan gritted his teeth and hissed in pain. But Rick could feel him holding on tight and doing his part to pull himself free. For a long moment, there was little progress. Ryan seemed pretty well wedged. Even with Rick straining his muscles, Ryan was only inching forward, and Rick feared they were doing actual damage to Ryan's body.

Ryan's arm came free after a moment, and Rick repositioned himself to get a better grip of Ryan's torso. Ryan wrapped his arms around Rick's neck and shoulders to get more leverage for himself.

Below them, Horatio grunted in the strain of holding up the television. It was heavy, but likely his true difficulty was that he couldn't get a good grip to hold it up because of the surrounding debris. He was holding it up with his fingers.

But he didn't let go, and Rick could only focus on pulling Ryan free.

His leg remained stubbornly stuck. Tears of pain slipped from Ryan's eyes, but he continued to hold tight and pull himself as hard as he could. Seeing how much it hurt him, Rick suggested, "Let's take a break, Ryan. Give yourself a moment and we'll try again."

"No," Ryan ground out through his teeth. It sounded like even that was an effort. Rick would've argued further, but Ryan's tone sounded very stubborn. There was a tremor of fear or weariness in that one word as well, but such determination that Rick knew the only thing for it was to keep pulling and hope for the best.

They kept at it for a few more seconds before Ryan was very suddenly freed. As they were both putting so much effort into pulling Ryan free, the abrupt removal of whatever had caught Ryan's foot sent Ryan surging forward. Rick fell onto his back, and Ryan ended up falling on Rick's chest.

"I'm going to set the TV down now, Mister Wolfe," Horatio warned. His voice sounded tense from the effort of holding up the television. He waited a moment, likely to see if Ryan objected.

But Ryan said nothing. He was breathing heavily. Chest-to-chest, Rick could feel Ryan's breath against his ear.

Gingerly Horatio set the television back down onto the debris pile. Thankfully, Ryan did not react, indicating that while his legs were still hidden under the debris pile, they were away from the television's weight. It also seemed that he was not instrumental in keeping the television in place, because nothing much shifted when Horatio let the debris-pile take back the television's weight.

For a long moment, Rick was still. Ryan made no effort to move, so Rick didn't either. He was content to just let himself lay there with Ryan's body covering him. It was a little uncomfortable because it was stiflingly hot in the room. Ryan had followed Rick's example and slept without a shirt, so his skin slid against Rick's. It was sweat-slick and too warm.

One of Rick's arms had fallen over Ryan's lower back, so that he was half-holding the younger man as he lay there. In another context, he would greatly enjoy himself. It was nice to hold Ryan close, especially after the scare he'd just had that Ryan might've been killed.

That thought reminded Rick that they still didn't know the extent of damage to Ryan's leg or foot. Regretfully, Rick levered himself up to a sitting position. For his part, Ryan just seemed to crumple in on himself.

"Mister Wolfe?" Horatio asked. He had made his way towards Rick and Ryan, and now squatted beside them.

Still sitting so near Ryan -- indeed, half-holding him -- Rick noted a faint trembling begin in the other man's hands.

"Ryan, look at me." Horatio echoed his words from earlier, but Ryan still did not obey. Beside him, Rick saw that the trembling was growing worse, spreading throughout Ryan's body.

Gently Horatio reached out to cup Ryan's cheek and coax him to lift his head up. Ryan did that, but his eyes remained screwed tightly shut. Rick was alarmed to see Ryan's breathing growing shallow and rapid, and after a moment Rick realized that the other man was having a panic attack.

He shared an alarmed look with Horatio, and saw that he wasn't the only one to recognize what was happening.

In a quiet firm voice, Horatio said, "Ryan, I want you to listen to my voice. It's okay. You're safe. Rick and I aren't going to leave you here. We've cleared the largest hurdle. You're not trapped. Just breathe. You're doing fine."

Horatio continued on in that vain, coaching Ryan through the panic. He had taken Ryan's hand and squeezed it periodically as an exclamation point to whatever he was saying.

For his part, Rick felt rather useless and in the way. Horatio had settled as close to Ryan as he could, but he was barred from being able to sit next to him because of where Rick was. If there were a way to gracefully slip away, Rick would've done it. It was clear that Horatio knew what he was doing. Already Ryan's breathing was calming and his body was relaxing.

Rick couldn't move, though. Ryan was half-sitting on him, and he was wedged between Ryan and the wall. There was literally nowhere to go. So, all he could do was rub Ryan's back in a show of silent support and wait for Horatio to work his magic.

"Sorry," Ryan mumbled when the worst of the attack was over.

"It's fine," Rick and Horatio immediately reassured him. Ryan took another few deep breaths to clear away the anxiety. He wouldn't meet either of their eyes, not that Rick blamed him. He completely understood Ryan in this moment.

Their rescue so far felt like it had taken forever, but in actuality, it couldn't have been very many minutes since the initial shaking had woken Horatio and Rick up. But it had taken some time for Horatio and Rick to overcome the lock to Ryan's room. To suddenly wake up with everything falling around you and then to be trapped without being able to ascertain anything of the damage and not knowing if anyone else had survived to find you or if anyone was even looking -- not to mention finally being so close to freedom but then finding yourself injured and the prospect of freeing yourself to actually be rather difficult -- that was worth a little panic.

But Rick also understood not wanting to look vulnerable in front of other people, especially someone he respected or someone he feared. Rick knew Ryan respected Horatio a good deal, and Horatio really didn't seem like the type to have ever panicked. Rick would feel awkward if he had had a panic attack in front of him.

And, while Rick wished it weren't so, he knew he was probably in the "to be feared" category. Not in a sense that he would hurt Ryan, but he admitted privately that it wasn't unreasonable to assume he would use Ryan's weakness against him. Of course, he never actually would, but there was no reason Ryan would know that.

"Alright, Mister Wolfe." Horatio's voice was all-business. He distracted Ryan from his embarrassment by focusing on the practical. "Let's have a look at your foot so we can see what we're dealing with."

It took a little maneuvering to free Ryan completely. Rick shimmied out from under him to give him more room. Rick and Horatio held up the drywall, but there was room enough for Ryan to slip the rest of the way out under his own power without their effort.

He was wearing boxers, so his legs were visible as soon as they were free. Rick looked, but nothing looked immediately injured.

As soon as Horatio and Rick set down the drywall, Horatio knelt beside Ryan's legs. "Which one is it?" Horatio asked. Ryan pointed to his left foot. Gently, Horatio took the foot into his hands and began to prod for tender spots.

Ryan hissed when Horatio touched his ankle. Glancing sharply at him, Horatio touched the area again and Ryan made another pained noise. Horatio continued his examination for a few more minutes before gently setting Ryan's foot down.

"Well," he said, "It's definitely very swollen, but I can't make out if it's a break or a sprain. Either way, it's probably better if you don't put too much weight on it, Mister Wolfe."

Ryan nodded, and Rick saw how he glanced around the room at the mess. Offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Rick said, "It shouldn't be too hard to slip around the corner here, and the hallway was still pretty clear when we were there earlier. There's room enough for all three of us to walk side by side, so it should be a fairly clear shot to the stairs."

He chose his words carefully, not wanting to outright tell Ryan not to worry, as he was fairly sure Ryan would become defensive about that.

After getting to their own feet, Rick and Horatio each took one of Ryan's hands and helped him stand. Rick could see Ryan put his weight on his injured foot for a moment -- could see the pained expression that came over his face -- before Ryan gingerly balanced on his good foot.

"Alright, Mister Wolfe. Just put your arm over my shoulder and we'll get you out of here." As always, Horatio maintained a very calming, assured tone. Ryan did as he was bid. Cautiously, Horatio helped Ryan hop from one clear area to another and slowly shuffle his way around the corner to the little hallway by the bathroom and then out the door.

Rick remained close behind, letting Ryan grab him when he needed extra balance. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they finally reached the main hallway. Even though it was darker here and much harder to see without any windows letting in the dusky light from outside, at least none of the wall paneling had come down like it had in the rooms. A quick look made Rick think that the hallway still had its original construction. It looked sturdier, though Rick knew that looks could be deceiving.

The sooner they got out into the open, the better he would feel.

"Let me check to see if there's anyone else here," Horatio said after he had helped Ryan lean against the wall and taken a moment to collect himself from the effort to get out of his room.

Ryan called after him, "You're wasting your time. No one sane would stay in a dump like this." He punctuated his statement with an annoyed look in Rick's direction.

Rick just rolled his eyes. Given what had just happened, he was prepared to ignore all such comments for the foreseeable future, knowing Ryan just needed to vent. It didn't help that Rick's feelings were rather similar -- clearly the construction of part of the hotel was subpar -- but Rick also felt he really couldn't be held liable for an earthquake.

Horatio ignored them both. He knocked on each of the four remaining doors and called to see if anyone was there. There was no answer.

"Come on, Caine," Rick said irritably. "We can't waste any more time here." He looked around at the walls and ceilings, ever mindful of another aftershock.

Horatio hesitated, and Rick could practically read his desire to break down each door and check further to make sure no one was trapped like Ryan had been and unable to respond to him. But then Horatio looked at Ryan, and good sense prevailed. He wandered back to their side.

Just as Rick had said, the hallway was just wide enough to accommodate all three of them. It was a bit of a squeeze, but Rick and Horatio both slung one of Ryan's arms over their shoulders and wrapped their own arms around his back. Having both of them to hold onto made it easier for Ryan to "hop" down the hallway without having to put any weight on his injured foot. It was quick going to get to the stairwell.

Surprisingly, when Horatio opened the door to the stairwell, it was not pitch black as Rick had expected. He did not remember any windows in the stairwell, which was further from the faint light spilling from the rooms they'd just left open, and there didn't appear to be any power left to the building. But it was actually brighter in the stairwell than it had been in either of their rooms. Coming onto the landing right by the door, it soon became apparent why that was.

A gaping hole was open in the ceiling, showing the night sky and the sliver of moon. Immediately fearing that whatever had fallen had destroyed the stairs and their means of escape, Rick's gaze descended from the gap to the stairs beneath.

On the positive side, the stairs were still standing. On the negative, there was a huge obstruction near the bottom of the first flight of stairs. Rick couldn't make out what it was exactly. The most logical explanation was an industrial air conditioning unit, though the mass at the bottom of the stairs was too tangled and disordered to appear like anything but a pile of junk. Whatever it was, it had taken out part of the wall on its way down, which caused a jumble of twisted rebar to stick out at odd angles. It didn't look safe.

Of course Horatio went to investigate further.

Leaving Ryan with Rick, Horatio gingerly stepped down the first few stairs. Nothing visibly swayed or appeared unstable as he made his way closer to the obstruction. Rick found himself holding his breath as Horatio moved closer and closer to the obstruction, and then reached out to cautiously push on it to see how stable it was.

Nothing moved.

Apparently feeling the stairs were plenty stable, Horatio jogged back up to them and said, "It appears stable enough. It looks like the stairs are holding it well. I think it slipped a bit from where it initially landed, but it looks fairly well wedged now. Rick, help me over so I can see if it's safe on the other side."

Horatio and Rick helped Ryan sit on the topmost step before they both headed down the rest of the stairs. Rick stepped gingerly, whole body tense in anticipation that the step would give out under him the moment he touched it. But the steps all seemed normal enough.

As he got closer to the obstruction, he could see the telltale marks on the stairs and wall that had made Horatio think it had slipped further down the stairs. But when Rick tentatively repeated Horatio's actions and pushed against the large obstruction, he found that nothing really moved.

"Give me your hand," Horatio said. He hadn't waited for Rick, already testing his weight on the nearest piece of twisted metal that looked like it might be stable. Rick scrambled to give Horatio his hand so the redhead had something to hold onto as he picked his way over the heap of material.

Rick winced a time or two as Horatio fearlessly made choices Rick wouldn't have. It was awkward going. Pieces of broken-off rebar stuck out of the debris. They were sharp and haphazard. It didn't leave Rick anywhere to lean against. He had to stretch as Horatio made it further and further away.

Just as he was making his way down the other side, Horatio's hand suddenly slipped from Rick's as the redhead abruptly disappeared.

"H!" Ryan called in alarm.

There was only the slightest pause before Horatio's voice said, "I'm fine." A moment later, his head popped back up. Rick could see him from about mid-chest and up, and he looked fine. "This side appears stable too. But the footing's awkward on this side."

Horatio glanced up towards Ryan, and then lowered his voice so only Rick could hear. "I think we're going to have to lift Ryan over. I don't think he can make it on one foot."

Rick nodded his understanding -- both of Horatio's plan and the reason he'd lowered his voice. Rick doubted Ryan was going to take well to this plan.

Louder than before, Horatio said, "Why don't you help Ryan down here and I'll see if I can make a little better place to stand on this side?"

Rick rolled his eyes, wondering if Horatio actually thought he was fooling anyone. He held his tongue, though, not deeming it prudent to start an argument right now. So he obediently returned to Ryan's side and helped him to his feet.

They made slow progress down the stairs. Rick noted the worried glances Ryan kept shooting the large obstruction.

Just as they reached the last step, Horatio set a slightly convex metal piece onto the top of the pile. It was thick and of a good size, though Rick had no idea what it was from or even what it had been. Horatio pressed it down hard onto the top of the mess of twisted metal and shifted it around until he was satisfied that it was fairly stable.

"Am I going to step on that?" There was a note in Ryan's voice that suggested he knew very well that there was only one real way to get him over the mass, but he was hoping Horatio might have come up with something else -- _anything_ to keep his dignity.

Horatio shook his head. "You're going to sit on that. Rick will help you up. We'll swing you around my way and I'll help you down."

"But H--" Ryan protested.

Horatio cut him off with a stern tone. "Mister Wolfe. Time is of the essence. We really shouldn't linger any longer than necessary."

Ryan scowled, but he knew as well as Rick did that there was no arguing with Horatio when he had that tone. They'd both tried it before.

"Ready?" Rick asked. Ryan gave him an unhappy look but he nodded.

Rick swung Ryan up into a bridal carry and tried to suppress a grunt. Ryan was not a big man, but he was solid muscle. He was also slippery with sweat. It was hard to get a good grip on him.

Rick held on, though. As gently and carefully as he could manage, he lifted Ryan towards the metal plate Horatio had set on top of the pile. From the other side, Horatio reached over as best he could to help steady Ryan and take some weight. He didn't appear to have any better purchase than Rick did.

Arms straining under Ryan's weight, Rick awkwardly set him down. Ryan's face was pinched, indicating that the exercise wasn't any better on his end. Glancing down at Ryan's foot, Rick could now see the purple bruising of his injury. It reminded him to be as gentle as he could.

It was still difficult to help Ryan shift his legs over towards Horatio's side of the pile. No one wanted to put too much faith in the convex metal piece Horatio had found. Nor did it look very comfortable to sit on anyway.

Ryan said nothing throughout the process. Once he was facing more towards Horatio, it was Horatio's turn to lift him. Ryan gingerly shifted his hold from Rick's shoulders to Horatio's.

It was again awkward for a few more moments as Horatio had the difficult task of lifting Ryan but from an angle. For his part, Rick had nowhere to lean against as he tried to keep some part of Ryan's weight to help Horatio out. In the end, Ryan sort of shifted himself and then basically took a leap of faith when he flung himself in Horatio's direction.

Rick was satisfied to hear Horatio grunt when he took Ryan's weight into his arms. But his enjoyment was tempered by seeing how right the two of them looked in this moment. Once Horatio stepped back a step and could finally hold Ryan properly, he looked remarkably comfortable to have Ryan in his arms. For his part, it appeared Ryan was trying not to snuggle into the position. He kept himself awkwardly erect and his face was bright red with embarrassment.

But then Horatio turned to look at him -- perhaps to ask if he was okay -- but nothing came out. Instead the two just looked at each other for a long moment, and Rick felt very much like a third wheel.

The moment was likely shorter than it felt, and Horatio was all-business soon enough. "Are you okay, Mister Wolfe?" he asked as he gently set Ryan on his feet.

Ryan nodded shakily. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Why don't you stand over there while I help Rick over?" Horatio helped Ryan stand in the corner of the stairwell where Ryan could prop himself up against the wall.

Rick was impatient at this point to get going. Already he was testing footholds and beginning to climb his way over. However, when Horatio did arrive and offer his hand, Rick was obliged to take it. There really wasn't anything else to hold onto, and Rick found that there were looser pieces of metal on the top and far side of the obstruction. If he used his hands on them, he was fairly sure he would be cut. So he took Horatio's hand and let the other man steady him as he carefully navigated the pile.

Just as he was making his first step down from the top of the obstruction, another aftershock hit.

Rick's footing was precarious at best, so he completely lost his balance as soon as the shaking began. He fell into Horatio, forcing the other man flat against the wall. Both their breaths came out in a whoosh when Rick slammed into Horatio. A quick white-hot pain seared into Rick's shoulder, but was almost as quickly gone.

"Rick!" Ryan's frantic call was just background noise. On instinct, Horatio had wrapped his arms around Rick to steady him. Rick's hands were on the wall above Horatio, but they came down to grab Horatio's shoulders so he had something to hold onto while the world shook.

It was over soon enough. Rick suddenly found himself gazing into Horatio's bright blue eyes from far closer than he'd ever imagined. They were pressed tightly chest-to-chest. Rick had never been so close to Horatio before, and he had to swallow around a suddenly dry throat.

"Stetler, are you okay?" Ryan's voice was full of concern, and for a moment Rick wasn't sure why.

But when he instinctively tried to put some distance between himself and Horatio -- to regain some semblance of control -- that sharp pain in his shoulder appeared again, and he hissed.

"Rick?" If it had been difficult to look at Horatio from this close before, it was doubly so when Horatio was looking at him with such concern.

"It's my shoulder," Rick muttered, though he had no idea what was wrong.

Ryan supplied the answer. "A piece of rebar slipped and impaled him while the shaking was going on. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Well, I'm fairly well stuck," Rick snapped. He didn't want to be this close to Horatio and not have a way out. He didn't want to see the concern in Horatio's eyes. He didn't want to feel the solidness of Horatio pressed so hard against him.

Beside him, he heard Ryan make a pained noise, and Rick turned his head to see Ryan using the wall to hobble closer to them. "I think I can maybe bend the rebar a bit."

"Let me see if I can get loose first so I can help you," Horatio said. Rick was then treated to the excruciatingly unfair process of Horatio shimmying sideways. There really was almost no room between them. Rick kept trying to shift back to give Horatio a little bit more room, but then held still again when he could feel the piece of rebar being pressed deeper into his shoulder.

It took a little doing but once Horatio was partly free, he managed to slip the rest of the way without too much difficulty. Rick relaxed a fraction, not feeling quite so trapped now that there was some space in front of him.

A hand touched his shoulder as Horatio inspected the injury. "It doesn't look like it's caught anything major." Horatio didn't sound happy though, and Rick could guess his thoughts.

"I'm not waiting for Fire and Rescue to free me. If there's another aftershock, that whole pile could come loose and flatten me."

Horatio did not rush to agree with Rick, but he must have felt the same thing, because after a moment he said, "The rebar can't be pulled out. The other end is still stuck. You're going to have to pull yourself off it."

"In case you didn't notice, I don't have a lot of room to work with here."

Unperturbed by Rick's snippy tone, Horatio calmly said, "The rebar went in at an upward angle. Ryan and I will exert pressure downward and try to pull it a little way that way. If you move forward as much as you can and then shift over the same way I did, I think you'll be free of it."

Rick frowned, but as he couldn't see the rebar himself, he obviously couldn't offer an alternative plan.

After a short time where Horatio helped Ryan closer and the two of them got situated, they implemented Horatio's proposal. Rick couldn't really feel any change from their efforts, but he dutifully began the slow process of pulling himself off the piece of rebar that had skewered him.

His shoulder angrily protested the treatment, but Rick gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain. Just as he was pressed completely flat against the wall, he felt the rebar come out with a sucking sound. The free end of the rebar slapped against him as Horatio and Ryan tried to pull it farther away.

Rick didn't wait for them, but began to shimmy against the wall. He felt utterly stupid doing it, and he was sure he looked stupid too. But he could still periodically feel the tip of the rebar against the back of his shoulder, so he pressed himself as close to the wall as he could. Thankfully, he only had to clear a few inches before he was free.

"You're free," Ryan said unhelpfully, even as Rick was pulling away from the wall and the rebar and the whole damn mess.

Rick turned and saw Horatio and Ryan still holding the rebar in their hands. It looked fairly flimsy, not being particularly thick. But Rick could see the bright red of his blood still on the end.

"Let me see your shoulder," Horatio demanded, letting go of the rebar and coming towards Rick. He left Ryan to stand awkwardly on one foot.

Rick rolled his eyes, but turned around so Horatio could poke and prod at him. He could feel blood slipping down his skin, but his shoulder was one mass of pain so he couldn't tell anything else.

He could feel Horatio investigate the wound. His fingers were very gentle as he carefully touched Rick's shoulder. "It's deep, but I don't think anything major was hit."

"So, I'm not going to bleed to death?" Rick asked dryly.

Horatio snorted, stepping back to allow Rick to turn around again. "I shouldn't think so. All the same, I think we should get out of here as soon as possible. You both need medical attention."

Rick wasn't going to argue with that. Glancing at the piece of rebar that had gotten him, he saw that it was brown with rust. While he wasn't likely to bleed to death, he definitely wanted his wound washed out so he could avoid infection.

Horatio shouldered Ryan's arm and helped him navigate the second set of steps leading down to the first floor. The door at the bottom was jammed, but Horatio was able to use brute strength to force it open. When he did, they finally heard the first human noises since this whole thing had begun. Far in the distance, they could hear crying and voices and other such noises of life.

It was good to hear.

The main lobby was a mess, but mostly around the edges. There was a clear enough path from the stairwell to the outer door, and now they headed for that.

Rick was surprised that it was still full night when they finally exited the hotel. It felt like they'd been making their way to freedom for hours how. He realized that they'd actually manage to free themselves just as the emergency vehicles were pulling up.

"You two wait here," Horatio said as he helped Ryan to sit on a curb across from the hotel. "I'm going to talk to the EMTs to have you two looked at."

Normally Rick would argue about that. He was far from incapacitated, and while his shoulder throbbed, he could still use it.

But he looked around the area and saw that it was actually pretty quiet. The hotel looked fairly okay from the outside. The buildings nearby were in decent shape too. People were milling about but no one was sporting any life-threatening injuries that Rick could see. It was a little chaotic as a few panicked people demanded attention, but Rick had worked crime scenes with way more action than this.

Letting himself sit next to Ryan on the curb, he was content to wait.

 

************

 

"There you are, Mister Stetler," the nurse said as she tied off the bandage on his shoulder. "You'll be good as new in no time."

Rick was tired, but he tried his best for a friendly smile. "Thank you. Do you know where the other two men I came in with are?"

The nurse smiled. "I'll go check that for you."

Watching the older woman walk away, Rick tested the range of motion his bandages afforded him. The wound was thoroughly clean, the stitches were in, the pain meds were prescribed, and he was all set to go.

Rick sat on a hospital bed in the emergency area of the hospital. It was a smaller hospital, and while there were certainly a number of people who needed to be looked at, it wasn't the flood of victims that heralded a major catastrophe. He'd seen more patients on a typical Friday night at Dade Memorial.

Since his arrival, he hadn't had the opportunity to learn more about what happened. The nurse who'd initially done his stitches had confirmed the earthquake -- they'd had three more aftershocks since he'd been in the hospital, though they had barely moved his water glass. She'd said it was a strong one, but Rick noted that none of the locals seemed that concerned.

Rick wondered why the hotel had been so hard hit. He half-hoped it was because it was on a fault line, but he figured it was more likely shoddy construction at some point in the hotel's past. If it was the latter, he was sure Ryan would never let him hear the end of it.

Thinking of Ryan, Rick felt a confusion of emotions assail him. Now that he was safe, bandaged, and in borrowed clothes, his mind seemed intent on focusing on all those little details that hadn't been immediately relevant at the time.

He now had sense-memory of both Horatio and Ryan pressed close to him. He'd seen more of Ryan's body than he'd ever had occasion to before. He'd had Ryan in his arms, and touched large patches of his skin. Horatio had even held him close when Rick had been skewered.

There hadn't been time to really sink in all of this while they'd been focused on getting out of the hotel. Now, though, he couldn't stop repeating the moments in his head. He was half-hard, and he felt really dirty about that, especially as he didn't know exactly how Ryan was doing.

As soon as they'd gotten to the hospital, Ryan had been whisked away to his have his foot looked at, and Horatio had gone with him. Rick thought it likely that Ryan was overall fine, but he didn't know for sure, so he felt more skeevy than usual to be fantasizing about him.

Particularly as it was so hopeless.

After watching how Horatio worried over Ryan at every step -- how gentle he'd been during Ryan's panic attack -- Rick was more certain than ever of Horatio's feelings for Ryan. Rick was on the fence about them being a couple. Some of their interactions had hinted at an intimacy Rick hadn't seen before, but there still wasn't quite enough for Rick to say with any certainty that they were definitely seeing each other.

He would bet they would, though.

Seeing the way Ryan had looked at Horatio -- how Ryan had relied on Horatio and turned to him when he was scared -- Rick was sure that Ryan would say yes immediately if Horatio decided to take things further (if they hadn't already).

Rick thought back to the way Horatio had gently cupped Ryan's cheek and held his hand. He thought about the way they looked at each other when Horatio had held Ryan in his arms.

Rick no longer needed his imagination to think about how Horatio's hands would look on Ryan's skin. There was a rightness to the two of them that made Rick's heart hurt. He didn't want to get in the way of the two of them, but he realized just how much he longed to be included.

Rick had very few illusions about himself. He acknowledged his desires and accepted them. He'd always known his interest in Horatio and Ryan was one-sided. He'd never thought anything was going to come of it.

But now Rick had to face the fact that he hadn't done quite as good a job of convincing his heart of that as he'd thought. He had to admit that not only did he desire two very handsome men, but he cared for them on a much deeper level than he was prepared for.

He might even be in love.

The thought made him tired. Tired and sad. Horatio could barely stand him. Ryan would never notice him. They were clearly in a relationship or headed that way. There was no chance there.

Of course Rick would be stupid enough to fall for two people he most definitely would never have.

"Mister Stelter," the nurse called, thankfully pulling him from his depressive thoughts. "Your friends are in room 306, two floors up. Would you like to go see them?"

Rick nodded. "I think I can find the way, though," he said when the nurse looked set to accompany him.

She smiled again. After another rundown on his meds and the general aftercare for his wound, she pointed him to the elevator and let him go.

Rick had no trouble finding the right room. The third floor was quiet. There was one nurse at the nurse's station and only two of the rooms Rick passed had patients in them. Room 306 was at the end of a little hallway. It was very quiet and Rick didn't image there was much traffic this way.

The door was wide open and Rick could see into the room before he was that close to it. He could see Ryan propped up on the bed, his leg supported on pillows. Horatio was standing very nearby. Indeed, he was partially bent over so he could be closer to Ryan's level. They appeared to be talking, but they also looked like Horatio was ready to offer Ryan a kiss at any moment. Rick noted that Horatio's hand was settled comfortably on Ryan's forearm, and Ryan seemed perfectly at ease.

The image they presented looked very intimate. When Ryan smiled at Horatio, Rick felt like he was intruding on a private moment and decided the last thing they needed was him raining on their parade.

Cautiously he backed away until they were out of sight. His chest felt tight with emotions as he turned away and began retracing his steps.

"Rick."

Closing his eyes, Rick groaned internally when he heard Horatio's call, but he immediately steeled himself and turned.

"Yeah?"

Horatio walked up until he was right in front of Rick. "I thought that was you. I was just about to go find you."

"I highly doubt that," Rick muttered before he could think better of it. He couldn't help it; he was in a grouchy mood.

Horatio paused in whatever he had intended to say next. For a moment he frowned but then surprisingly his frown melted into an amused smile -- one of the warmest Rick had ever seen.

Making no mention of Rick's tetchy remark, Horatio said, "I was just speaking with Mister Wolfe about a matter concerning you."

"Concerning me?" Rick frowned.

Horatio nodded, his eyes still twinkling with amusement. "The recent events have . . . clarified some things. For me and for Mister Wolfe. I'm not ashamed to admit that there were moments I was worried we might not all make it out. I was scared."

"You were?" Rick didn't think he'd ever hear Horatio say something like that.

Nodding again, Horatio said, "I was. When Mister Wolfe wasn't responding. When he was stuck. When _you_ were hurt. It was . . ." Horatio glanced away for a moment, and Rick could see him swallow. Rick understood how he felt regarding Ryan. Seconds had crawled by like hours during the time they'd worked to free him. Knowing how Horatio likely felt about Ryan, Rick could certainly believe that it had been equally hard on him as it had been on Rick.

But Rick was baffled why his own injury would bother Horatio. He'd been too anxious to wait at the time, but he probably could've stayed put until Fire and Rescue came. It was highly unlikely that he actually would've been flattened by any debris, and his injury wasn't life-threatening.

Finally composed, Horatio turned back. "It was very difficult. I hope that I never again have to see either of you hurt."

"Well, I can't speak for Mister Wolfe, but I have no intention of endangering myself needlessly. That's _your_ playbook," Rick reminded him.

Again, his curt remark earned a smile rather than the irritated look Rick expected. "You may be right," Horatio agreed easily enough. "There's only so much I can do to prevent such an occurrence in the future. There's only so much that's in my control, and I'm choosing to focus on that. As I said, today's events highlighted some things for me and I want to act on them. For a moment today, I thought Ryan might be dead and I would never have a chance to tell him . . ." Horatio hesitated.

It seemed clear enough where the other man was going with this, which surprised Rick greatly. He couldn't ever imagine Horatio would so boldly reveal anything of a personal nature to Rick, especially as Rick was the one who tended to frown on workplace romances and just generally made life difficult for the crime lab's employees.

Horatio was watching Rick closely, and something about Rick's expression must have put him at ease -- Rick had _no idea_ what that could be -- for he relaxed and continued on with more confidence. "To tell him how I felt. I had the same thought when you were pinned."

"I wasn't in danger," Rick protested.

"No, but your injury reminded me of all that's been left unsaid between us. I think it's past time we confronted the issue and started behaving like adults, rather than schoolchildren."

Rick was honestly confused. "What are you talking about?"

Horatio's lips twitched in a smile. "I'm not blind, Rick. Do you think I haven't noticed how you look at me? How you look at Ryan?"

Rick flushed, annoyed. He opened his mouth to deny the accusation, but Horatio stepped closer -- well into Rick's personal space now -- and didn't give him the chance.

"You'd hardly be alone. I'll admit that it was . . . _nice_ seeing you and Ryan tangled together on the floor. To see you carrying Ryan like he didn't weigh anything," Horatio said.

A part of Rick felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. This was so weird. Horatio's thoughts exactly mirrored his own from earlier. He had no idea why Horatio was going over this and he sensed a trap.

Wary, he said, "I don't know what you're going on about. Ryan weighed a ton."

"A burden you'd love to carry, though," Horatio responded immediately. There was a calculating look in his eyes now. "Do you think I missed the way you held his hand and stroked his back to comfort him during his panic attack? You care for him. I don't think I realized that until this night, but I can see it now."

Feeling distinctly vulnerable and boxed-in, Rick wanted away from this conversation. He backed up a step but Horatio followed him. "Okay, I'm not sure what game you're playing--"

" _I_ don't play games," Horatio interrupted with some heat. Throwing Rick's words back at him, he said, "That's _your_ playbook. Aren't you tired of that? Of going round and round and never getting anywhere? I know I am. I don't want to spend another decade arguing with you just to keep you out of reach. I don't want to be in a situation where I'm in danger of losing you and I still haven't said how I've felt. Or made you open up to me about your own feelings."

"What feelings?" Rick asked nervously and took another step back. "You mean the exasperation and aggravation you induce in anyone of any sense?"

Horatio had that expression he got when Rick was testing his patience. "Well, I know you're attracted to me."

"You certainly think a lot of yourself, don't you?" Rick said defensively.

Without warning, Horatio none-too-gently pushed Rick flat against the wall. He then pressed himself against Rick, grabbing the fabric of his borrowed shirt, and pulling Rick down just enough so that Horatio could kiss him hard.

Unprepared for the assault, Rick was kissing back with equal fervor before he remembered he should be offended by Horatio's presumption. He couldn't quite make himself pull away though -- not when Horatio had stuck a leg between his own and he could feel the other man was just as hard as he was.

"You were saying something?" Horatio teased when they finally pulled apart. Rick's hands were tangled in Horatio's hair and he had been obvious in his reluctance for the kiss to stop. He scowled, since he couldn't now refute Horatio's smug assertion that Rick indeed was attracted to him.

Horatio chuckled, but his eyes were warm with affection, so Rick couldn't be completely offended. Horatio gently cupped Rick's cheek in a surprisingly tender gesture.

"I'm not playing a game. I'm not trying to trap you or hurt you. I know we've had our differences -- I'm sure that's not ever going to change -- but I've always respected and admired you. I have been attracted to you for quite some time now, and tonight brought home to me the fact that I would never forgive myself if I hadn't spoken up. That's all I'm doing now. I've just spoken to Ryan, and he confirmed what I'd suspected: he's just as interested in you as me, and we'd both be happy if you joined with us . . . if you wanted to."

Horatio could be extremely heartfelt when he wanted to be -- to the extent that there was no doubting his sincerity. He was pulling that card now, expression soft and earnest.

Rick's head was spinning. He'd only just realized how deep he had it for Horatio a few minutes ago. Despite his feelings, it still felt really weird to have Horatio so boldly admitting to all this. They'd never before had any kind words to say to each other. Rick knew that on his part he acted as he did mostly to get a rise out of Horatio, but it was also to hide his growing affection. Yes, it was a childish response, but Rick had never professed to be mature.

Horatio was saying all the right things. He wasn't like Rick; he didn't run away from who he was. He confronted all his problems head on. If Rick believed him, this was the chance he'd always wanted.

He still hesitated.

In Rick's experience, he had to work hard for anything he wanted. This seemed way too easy.

But having it out in the open like this -- having the choice right in front of him -- just made him aware of how much he really did want this.

Sighing in an exasperated manner, Rick said, "Yeah, okay." If Horatio was trying to get one over on him, Rick would make his life a living hell.

Horatio only smiled in response to Rick's unenthusiastic agreement. He surprised Rick by giving him another quick kiss before taking one of Rick's hands in his and tugging him down the hall.

"Ryan will be glad to hear that. I'm sure he's anxious to hear how our talk has turned out," Horatio said.

Ryan did indeed look a little anxious when Rick and Horatio returned to his room. "How are you doing, Ryan?" Rick asked as he got closer.

"Good. The meds have kicked in and I'm all bandaged and ready to go." He gave Horatio a significant look.

Horatio smiled. "I'll go talk to the nurses about getting you released."

He then leaned down and gave Ryan a kiss. It clearly surprised Ryan, who accepted the kiss shyly and shot a look in Rick's direction.

Noting the look, Horatio said, "Rick and I have spoken, and he is enthusiastically on board."

Rick rolled his eyes, but he was gratified to see the hopeful look Ryan shot in his direction.

Offering another kiss -- this time to Ryan's temple -- Horatio said, "I'll give you a moment to sort through things."

Rick shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when Horatio pressed a quick kiss to his lips too before leaving.

When he turned back to look at Ryan, he found his colleague had a dazed expression on his face. Rick felt an instant kinship with him. Horatio had barreled through everything with his usual bravado. It was nice to see that Rick wasn't the only one who was still out to sea, and Rick felt his own confidence grow.

Gently, he covered one of Ryan's hands where it lay on the bed with his own. "You sure you're okay, Wolfe? I know it's been a stressful night."

Ryan shook his head slowly, as if clearing away some cobwebs. "Yeah, no. I . . ." He looked at where Rick was holding his hand, and it seemed he couldn't find the words.

Boldly, Rick grasped Ryan's hand and brought it to his lips. He offered Ryan a smile when he saw he had Ryan's attention. Softly, he said, "Horatio told me that you were interested in including me in your relationship with him but, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear that from your own lips."

For the longest time, Ryan continued to simply stare, and finally Rick's confidence began to slip away. Something of that must have shown because just as Rick began to release Ryan's hand, Ryan shook his head again -- with more force this time -- and seemed to get a hold of himself.

"He did. I mean, I do. I mean . . ." He growled in frustration, carding the fingers of his free hand angrily through his long hair.

Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I, um, I've always liked you. I know that's really weird. You're the resident boogeyman of the lab."

"Thanks a lot," Rick said dryly. It had its intended effect, because Ryan grinned and relaxed.

"Truth is truth, man." He shrugged. "But I liked you anyway. You cut a very impressive figure stalking the halls. I think the way you and H bicker is hilarious and entertaining as hell. So . . . I don't know. I've liked H since forever and I've sort of always liked you too. I just . . . I mean you guys both outrank me and I wasn't sure . . . I really want to keep my job--"

"I don't think there's any question of that," Rick interrupted, wanting to put Ryan's mind at ease. "You might have to have your evaluations performed by a different supervisor. But I'm sure Horatio will find some way to keep you on his shift. It would hardly be the least unprofessional thing about his team."

Rick's tone was bland and disgruntled. Ryan laughed. "You guys are going to be a riot together in a relationship."

Rick rolled his eyes, though he was pleased that Ryan was happy. He'd shared Horatio's worry over Ryan during the earthquake; it was good to see Ryan smile.

Sadly, though, that smile did not last. Far too quickly, it slipped away and was replaced with a troubled expression. "I'm not sure how much you guys are going to need me," he said quietly.

"Are you kidding?" Rick was perhaps a little too loud but he disliked this line of thinking immensely. When he saw the worried look in Ryan's eyes, he made himself take a breath. Offering up his most reassuring smile, he said, "If it was just the two of us, I guarantee that Horatio and I would end up killing each other. You're kind of essential."

Ryan's reaction was heartbreaking. He looked like he honestly didn't know how to take Rick's firm reassurance, and Rick was at a loss what to say else.

For a long moment, it was awkward between them. Ryan finally cleared his throat and said, "Well, um, I'm glad H spoke up. I was thinking . . . when we were in the hotel . . . well, you guys were so awesome about helping me out. I was well and truly stuck under the bed. I can't tell you what a relief it was to hear you guys calling for me. And then to carry me around . . . I know that had to be a pain."

"We were happy to do it," Rick said firmly. He could hear a lot of embarrassment in Ryan's tone, but it was the hint of self-loathing that he wanted to refute immediately. "It was no bother. Surely, you would've done the same thing in our place."

Ryan looked as if he hadn't considered it from that angle. Rick squeezed his hand. "There's no shame in needing help. I'm glad you and Horatio were there to help un-stick me. And, I'm sure, if we give it enough time, _eventually_ Horatio's finally going to bite off more than he can chew, and you and I can be there to save his ass and tell him I-told-you-so at the same time."

Ryan snorted with amusement, and Rick blew a silent sigh of relief. Visibly relaxing, Ryan seemed shy but also more confident when he said, "I did sort of like being carried by you guys. Just a little. I felt . . . I felt safe."

Rick knew immediately that this little admission was actually pretty huge for Ryan. He was opening himself up in ways that were probably pretty scary for him. It made Rick love him all the more.

"You _are_ safe with us. You know that, right? Horatio and I would never hurt you." Rick thought about adding that they would never let anyone else hurt Ryan either, but he realized that wasn't really relevant right now. If Ryan's insecurities were anything like Rick's, he feared for his heart more than his body.

Ryan offered a soft smile, and for the first time he looked truly relaxed. "Yeah, I do." He said the words like it was the first time he'd truly _believed_ them.

Rick returned his smile, feeling like he'd been carrying a weight over his heart for years and only now had it been lifted.

Horatio declaring his feelings left Rick feeling untethered and floating. Ryan's doubt grounded him. This was real. This was actually happening. He wasn't actually hallucinating from somewhere under a mountain of earthquake rubble. Rick didn't know what to think about this very sudden change in his life, but there was a warm feeling growing in his chest that spoke volumes.

Snagging a nearby chair, Rick made himself comfortable as he and Ryan waited for Horatio to return.

The End

 

**Author's Note:**

> I want to send a huge thank you to my beta Vethica!


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